To Subdue The Seemingly Unsubduable

Inside the Person of Christ are deposited and hidden of all of God’s blessings, riches, and treasures that benefit us today and forever.

Col 2:2 That their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Look with me at two of the many riches that are hidden inside of Christ

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Greek (paraphrase): To Him who has power to perform in a way that is abundantly above and beyond all that we ask of Him, or think with our minds.

He can only do this however, according to, or limited to, or the “fencing in”, of the dunamis power that operates effectively within us.

1 Cor 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Greek paraphrase “Christ; God’s dunamis power.”

Upon inspection of 1 Cor. 1:24, we find out that God’s dunamis power is not something that we ask God for! Neither does it say that Christ gives to us God’s dunamis power. This verse tells us that Christ HIMSELF IS God’s dunamis power.

This is why I always refer to what Watchman Nee taught the church at beginning of the 20th century, and of which it still has not gotten a hold of!

Brother Nee says that God does not give to us bunch of blessings. He gave us one thing, His Son.

Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

All that God is, and has for us, lives IN or INSIDE His Son. God has given us His Son to dwell within us, as a treasure chest of all that He is, all of His possessions, and blessings.

The devil deceives the church by enticing it to ask God for a variety of blessings, when it should be asking the Lord for a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

This is so that Christ, God’s treasure chest, is revealed within each believer, along with all God’s bounties dwelling within Him.

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

·Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God works within us a way which is abundantly above and beyond what we wish. However, God’s activity is “limited to” or “fenced in by” the dunamis power that is manifested through our lives. This very power is what gives to God the ability to work effectively.

1 Cor 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

In Corinthians, we see that this “dunamis power” is Christ Himself. Therefore, the quantity and quality of Christ’s revelation within us is the boundary or limit to which God is allowed to operate within us abundantly and beyond all that we ask or think.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

All spiritual blessings occur in Christ (let’s say in the sphere or world belonging to His revelation).

The more is His revelation within us, the more that that the totality of God’s spiritual blessings already inside of Him, will become an experienced reality to us.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Fullness, in New Testament terms, is the substance or makeup of an object that defines it to be what it is. The fullness of Coca Cola, is the fluid within the glass bottle that has all the ingredients, and formula, that labels it exclusively, and independently, of anything else in this world, as Coca Cola.

Inside the Person of Christ is deposited the very being, substance, and makeup of Almighty God which defines Him exclusively as God Almighty.

This Christ, which contains the fullness of Almighty God, has been given to us.

This is why in verse ten we find out that IN Christ, we are already and forever more complete. Our experiential completion is equal to the manifested fullness of God as it is revealed in us. Once again, we must remember that the immense treasure of God’s fullness as experienced by us, is limited to, or fenced in by to the manifestation of Christ within our lives, who is also the power of God to effectively bring forth God’s fullness into our lives.

Do we need anything more than this?

How are these treasures revealed to us?

I Cor 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

I Cor 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

In both instances above, Christ crucified is in the Greek perfect tense.

The Greek perfect tense is defined, as a once and for all accomplished event with an eternal impact. Therefore, though Christ was crucified 2000 years ago, the effect of His crucifixion is as powerful for us today, as it was 20 centuries ago. Because Christ is God’s treasure chest, the effects of His crucifixion dwell permanently inside Him.

This very Christ, still crucified today, has been given to us as another of the treasures that lives within Him.

Why does God give to us “the treasure of Christ as permanently crucified” to dwell within us? This is what I term as the “law of crucifixion” or “the law of the cross”. A law tells us that under a specific set of circumstances, specific results will always occur.

·With our every individual act of obedience towards God, “the law of crucifixion” (which is the permanently crucified Christ) kicks in, resulting into what is described in the next two verses out of 2 Corinthians chapter four.

2 Cor 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

The revelation of Christ, and the treasures within Him, becomes a progressive reality inside of us by obedience to God. Every act of obedience towards God activates the law of the cross that reveals the treasure of “Christ crucified”, which destroys our self-life and manifests Christ and His treasures.

How do we become free?

2 Cor 13:3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

2 Cor 13:3 tells us that The Christ which has been given to live within us, is always mighty and powerful in ability. His might and ability becomes a reality in proportion to His revelation.

4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

The Greek further tells us in verse four, that in the same way that a tree lives from its roots as it obtains nutrients found in the soil, we must live our lives rooted in the power of God, as it is released in proportion to the revelation of Christ.

Philip 3:21 Who shall change our lowly body, that it may be fashioned like his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself.

Another vital treasure dwelling within Christ, and one, which we will refer to in the rest of this study, is “the Christ whom subdues all things to Himself.”

To subdue, is a military term comparable to a general with an army in perfect submission, hierarchy, and order, beneath him.

One of the most important desires of Christ is to subdue all that is not of Him in this military and hierarchal order. The verses immediately below, all use the very same Greek word found for the subduing in Philippians 3:21; thus showing a vital part of the mind of God towards us in the finished work of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power (dominion) of his might (inner strength).

Christ ability to subdue is an absolute necessity for us, since it is the work of Christ to set us free. Subduing however, can also have a very negative connotation.

Dictators, such as Hitler, Castro, and others, focused their whole lives on the subduing of people. Christ, likewise, focuses much of His work in subduing, but only of things that are evil and harmful to humanity.

In the case of evil dictators, the subduing of peoples is called dominating, or exercising dominion over them. This evil exercise of dominion accomplishes a power as it is carried out, called the power of dominion or domination, in proportion to the strength of the dictator.

In Eph 6:10 we find this exact principle at work. Translated for us it commands us to be empowered in the Lord and in the domination or dominion exerted by His strength.

This dominion or domination is what gives the Lord the ability to subdue all things unto Himself.

Are we beginning to get the picture? The revelation of Christ within us, triggered by the law of the cross through our obedience, reveals the Christ who dominates.

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened(dominion) with might (dunamis power) by his Spirit in the inner man;

·Greek: That God’s power deposited into your inner man through the Holy Spirit will be seen or translated as Christ’s dominion within you.

The results of this subduing or dominion whisks us right into verse seventeen.

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

To dwell, is defined as an inhabitant being in comfortable control of his home, thus allowing him to live in the peace and authority which has been purchased through that control.

Christ desires to dwell in this very fashion within our hearts. He can only do so in believers that fully obey Him, allowing “the Christ that dominates and subdues all evil” to set them free, so that He may dwell and exercise the full authority of the kingdom, through them.

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty( inward strength) power,(outward dominion)

Greek paraphrase. The exceeding greatness of this power is funneled into those who continuously believe. The inward strength of God, which is displayed as His outward dominion, is translated as the exceeding greatness of His power, which is funneled into the believer. This funneling is limited to the continual believing of the Christian, which in turn is defined as the uncompromising moment-by-moment obedience to God’s rhema word, or voice of the Spirit.

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

He wrought : This is very powerful!

The Greek perfect tense is used with this verb. As we know, the Greek perfect tense is an accomplished event in history, having an eternal impact.

Which He wrought, can be defined, as the working through, or the accomplishing of something with absolute effectiveness, resulting in its becoming fully operational.

The exceeding greatness of God’s power; the translation of the dominion of the strength found within God, is fully and eternally operational inside the Person of His Son! This very Christ lives within us, beloved!

The effective and full operation of this dominating or subduing power can be proved in that Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father after His resurrection. One who sits down can only do so after conquering all; it is the position of rest.

This is why we always see Christ sitting down in the parables of His kingdom and glory. His sitting down is the result of His absolute victories, thus allowing for the release of His glory through the works of the kingdom

Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Herein is another aspect of God’s dominion fully operational within Christ, in that He was raised FAR IN DISTANCE above all that is opposed to Him.

22 And put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

The full and effective operation of the exceeding greatness of God’s power inside of Christ, is not only witnessed that in all things to Christ.

He rose far above them in physical distance, but they are now likewise subdued in a military fashion under His feet.

Finally and most important, THIS VERY CHRIST which has the full operation of the exceeding greatness of God’s power resident within Him, has been given to live within us!

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Greek: Fills all things in all people.

To fill all things in all people, is the fullness of Christ’s revelation, which reveals the Christ who has the full operation of God’s dominating power, which sets us free!